Even before the episode aired, fan groups everywhere were already buzzing with anticipation.
And it wasn't just the fans — industry professionals across the television and entertainment world were closely watching 'Hikaru no Go's Episode 7 ratings.
After all, with 'You, Under the Cliff' suffering a steep drop this week, and 'Black Cat' — the show that had held third place for several weeks — failing to show any significant growth (and even falling behind 'Hikaru no Go's ratings from the previous week), one thing was clear:
If 'Hikaru no Go' could maintain its performance from last week…
Then tonight, 'Hikaru no Go' wouldn't just climb —
It would take the crown.
At the very least, for this week, it would officially become the highest-rated drama of the summer season.
At 10 PM sharp, 'Hikaru no Go' Episode 8 began airing.
This episode centered entirely around a clash of legends — the most powerful game in the entire series: a network match between Akira's father, Koyo Toya, and Fujiwara no Sai.
This match was no ordinary creation. Jing Yu had personally exchanged fan points in the system space to acquire it — a legendary game from a parallel world, played by two titanic Go masters.
From the very first move, every single placement was at a level of absolute mastery.
Even now, with the show already drawing attention from numerous professional Go players, this match left them speechless.
Because it was painfully clear — Koyo Toya and Fujiwara no Sai were both stronger than them.
Even Zhou Zhengguang and Su Lin — the two 9-dan pros whom Jing Yu had defeated earlier — couldn't help but get serious as they watched.
Initially, they had assumed that, while Jing Yu's skills were impressive, any match he created on his own might at best approach the level of high-tier professionals. It couldn't possibly represent true top-tier Go.
But as the game progressed...
They were shocked.
Setting aside how the match came to exist, the sheer level of skill shown by both players was beyond their own.
Every time the board diverged from what they thought was optimal, a closer look revealed it was actually a more brilliant alternative.
"Unbelievable…"
"I never would've thought of that move… No — not just that, I couldn't have come up with it that fast."
"Just what kind of monster is this Jing Yu? He stays cooped up in a drama set and somehow manages to create Go games like this?!"
"It doesn't make sense. I thought Go only improved through constant practice against strong opponents? This guy never even plays us pros — how is he this strong?"
The two 9-dan players were on a call with each other, discussing the match in real time.
And then…
Sai won.
By half a point, holding white stones.
It was a match of flawless beauty, full of artistic nuance — so precise that even the most elite professionals in Great Zhou couldn't find a single mistake.
Forget being part of a drama — even if you dragged the world's #1 and #2 ranked players into a high-stakes showdown, the game they'd play might still not be as beautiful as this one.
Episode 7 of 'Hikaru no Go' Season 2 was entirely devoted to this match.
Naturally, since Jing Yu had spent a ton of fan value to acquire this game, he wasn't going to waste it — the episode gave it the attention it deserved.
Fans watched with bated breath, hearts in their throats, and finally… relief.
"Sai really won…"
"Sai is undefeated. The greatest."
"But… even in this game, Sai still didn't find the legendary 'Divine Move' he's been chasing for a thousand years…"
"So it didn't appear, even against Koyo Toya? Does that move even exist?"
"Maybe the 'Divine Move' can only emerge when he faces the fully-grown Akira?"
"Or perhaps, when Hikaru has matured and duels Sai — maybe then it'll appear?"
"We're already seven episodes in — do you think there will be a third season?"
"Has to be! Hikaru just became a pro. He's still growing. They could show his rank-up battles, his title matches with Akira… Heck, they could easily go for a fourth season if they want!"
Then came the episode's final scene.
"Hey, Sai… That move Master Koyo Toya played at the end — it was here, right?"
Hikaru's eyes sparkled with brilliance.
"But… if he hadn't played it here, and instead played there — wouldn't you have lost?"
Hikaru's gaze was fixed on a spot on the board.
As the screen faded out, the full game board remained onscreen — frozen in place — even as the ending theme played.
It was as if the show was challenging the audience directly:
"That reversal move? That hidden divine play Hikaru mentioned? Can you find it?"
All across Great Zhou, every viewer — even Zhou Zhengguang and Su Lin — fell silent.
Wait… Could White have lost?
The two 9-dans narrowed their eyes, staring at the board, still on the phone.
"No way… There's no such reversal move."
"I don't see it. The endgame is complicated, but it follows a single, perfect sequence. Any deviation would cause a loss."
"That's what I thought too… But Jing Yu said there was a reversal.
Could this be the 'Divine Move' the show keeps hinting at?"
"Come on, don't be ridiculous. This is just a drama. There's no way something like that would actually appear."
"True… but with Jing Yu's Go strength, he's not the type to bluff. Maybe this is his challenge to the fans — a test.
He's banking on no one finding the move. That way, next week's Episode 8 will blow everyone away when it's revealed."
"So, what do you say? Should we try to find it — and spoil his surprise? He beat us in real life with no mercy. Time to return the favor and spoil Episode 8 for his fans."
"I like the sound of that.
Time to open my Go board. Before I forget the position — let's study this match."
'Hikaru no Go' Episode 7.
The viewership numbers were within minutes of the episode ending.
6.89%.
It was already Sunday.
While technically there was still an hour left in the day, no more major shows were scheduled to air.
Which meant...
'Steins;Gate': 5.31% – 5th place
'Manual': 6.45% – 4th place
'You, Under the Cliff': 6.52% – 3rd place
'Black Cat': 6.69% – 2nd place
'Hikaru no Go': 6.89% – 1st place
From Season 1 to now, after twenty weeks of broadcast—
'Hikaru no Go' had finally reached #1.
"Number one…"
When the weekly drama ratings rankings from all networks came in, Cheng Lie — holding the official list at Yunteng — felt his heart leap in his chest.
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